News 2017
People Don't Fear HIV; They Fear the Stigma Behind It
Howard Winchester
One in a series of stories written by the 2017 U.S. Conference on AIDS Social Media Fellows.
You sit in the cold, hard, metal chair fidgeting with your thumbs, heart racing nonstop because you aren't sure. You recall all of the times you engaged in unsafe sexual practices over the last three to six months. You try your best to reach deep within your memory for every sexual experience you shared and with whom, and your anxiety starts to peak. The nurse calls you back into the quiet room that now feels more like a cell than a doctor's office. "Am I HIV positive?" you wonder, trying to gather cues from her facial expressions to see if you can guess your results before she tells you. But she's been trained to have a master poker face, and all you want to do is scream at the top of your lungs, "Tell me!"
Read more: People Don't Fear HIV; They Fear the Stigma Behind It
10 Things to Know About HIV Suppression
Viral Suppression Stages
Development of antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV has turned what was once an almost always fatal infection into a manageable chronic condition. Daily antiretroviral therapy can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood to levels that are undetectable with standard tests. Staying on treatment is crucial to keep the virus suppressed.
On Track But Continued Progress Needed on HIV Viral Suppression to Achieve Our Nation's Goal
Viral Suppression Goals
The science is clear: recent scientific advances in our understanding of the impact of HIV treatment have shown that achieving and maintaining viral suppression improves the health of those living with HIV and prevents the transmission of new infections.
National Healthcare Access Coalition Launches 17 City National Black Healthcare Access Tour
Demand Access: Coming to a City Near You.
A national healthcare coalition comprised of 15 national organizations and networks launches a 17 city Demand Access: Black Healthcare Access Tour to raise awareness about the importance of healthcare access in Black communities, mobilize communities to respond to recent threats to the Affordable Care Act (ACA/Obamacare), and help individuals sign up for insurance during the 2017 ACA open-enrollment period: November 1, 2017 thru December 15, 2017.
In This Issue
Last week, House Republicans passed a tax-reform bill that increases insurance premiums for millions of Americans and cuts Medicare by $25 billion. Senate Republicans are working on a bill that eliminates the individual mandate and will, in effect, sabotage the Affordable Care Act and cause 13 million Americans to lose health insurance.